Smoker&#39;s article



De.'3o, 1941.

c. E. HOPKINS 2,268,284- SMOIKERS ARTICLE Filed March 2, 1940 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 30, 1941 UNITED STAT ES PAT E N 'I' orrlcs 1 Claim.

My invention relates to smoking pipes, cigarette holders and the like, and has among its objects and advantages the provision of an improved i-lltering medium as well as a stem` or holder structure designed to produce a colder smoke.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a pipe .embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the plpe;

Figure 3 is a perspective View illustrating the mouthpiece part of the stem detached from the bowl part;

Figure 4 is a perspective view illustrating a cigarette holder embodying my invention; and

Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the holder of Figure 4.

In the embodiment selected to illustrate my invention, the pipe illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2' includes a conventional bowl III and a stem structure I2 comprising a mouthpiece part I4 and a bowl part I6. Part I8 is provided with an axial bore I8, which bore communicates with the bowl cavity through the medium of a passage 22. Passage 22 intersects the bottom of the cavity 20 and declines slightly with respect to the longitudinal axis of the stem structure I2, as illustrated in Fig. 2, with the passage spaced beneath the axial center of the bore I 8.

Mouthpiece I4 is provided with a shank 24 which is pressed into the bore I8 for detachably connecting the parts I4 and I6 into a unitary stem structure. Shoulder 26 on the stem part I4 abuts the end of the bowl part I6 when the parts are connected in accordance with Figs. 1 and 2. Shank 24 fits tightly against the wall of the bore I8 so as to insure against the leakage of moisture.

In Fig. 2, the end 28 of the shank 24 is spaced a considerable distance from the bottom wall 30 of the bore I8 to provide a smoke chamber 32. Thus the passage 34 in the mouthpiece I4 has communication with the passage 22 through the medium of the smoke chamber 32. Passage 34 has communication with the chamber 32 at a relatively high point, considerably above the passage 22, and the mouthpiece part I4 has its body 35 angled upwardly at 38 to reduce the size of the mouthpiece part to the usual cross-sectional proportions and conguration, as at 40.

Shank 24 is slotted at 42 and a lip 44 is fashioned integrally with the wall 46 of the shank 24. Lip 44 is of considerable length and curved in cross section, as illustrated in Fig. 3, with its end v(CI.

43 substantially engaging the wall 39 when the shank 24 is pushed home in the bore I 8. The wall 5I! of the lip 44 is of the same curvatureas the shank 24 so as to fit snugly against the wall of the bore I8. Slot 42 constitutes a receptacle for ltering material 52, such as absorbent cotton, which may be replaced from timeto time as the iilter becomes saturated with condensate.

Interconnecting the shank 24 at its end 28 with the outer end of the lip 44 is a diagonal bar 54 underneath which the absorbent material 52 is positioned so that the material will be effectively held in the slot. At the same time, the bar 54 prevents the absorbent material from working loose in the slot 42 and plugging the bore 22. Since the lip 48 extends considerably beyond the end 28 of the shank 24, some of the absorbent material 52 projects into the chamber 32 and lies adjacent the bottom of the chamber but beneath the passage 34.

In operation, smoke is drawn into the chamber 32 and circulates therein as it flows to the passage 34. condensate forming in the chamber 32 gravitates downwardly and is absorbed by the material 52 so as to prevent such condensate from passing to the mouth of the smoker. Passage 34 has its end communicating with the chamber 32 considerably above the absorbent material 52, and the passage is located closely to the upper line 5S of the mouthpiece part I4. Thus, the location of the passage 34 prevents free-owing condensate inside the chamber 32 from entering the passage. I have found that the chamber 32 functions to provide a cooler smoke, and the end 28 of the shank is arranged at right angles to the smoke passage 34 so as to provide a steep drop for condensate accumulating on the Wall. At the same time, the bar 54 is so angled as to expose a relatively large surface area of the absorbent material 52 to the chamber 32. Chamber 32 embodies a relatively large Wall area, and the wall surfaces thereof are so arranged that condensate gravitates away from the smoke passage 34, so that the smoke passage will remain free from accumulations over a long period of time.

The absorbent material 52 is easily removed for substitution purposes, and the lip 44 underlies the absorbent material so as to form a shield to the end that the absorbent material is held in the clear of the bore I8 in a large degree so as to offer little resistance when the shank 24 is pressed into the bore. The curved formation of the lip 44 constitutes an effective retainer for the absorbent material to prevent lateral displacement thereof, which is important, particularly in connection with pressing of the shank 24 into the bore I8. At the same time, the curvature of the lip directs free-owing condensate to the absorbent material 52, and the lip is so snugly iltted against the wall of the bore I8 as to prevent such condensate from accumulating between the face 50 of the lip and the wall of the bore I8.

The passage 22 declines in the direction of the chamber 32 to effectively drain condensate into the chamber so that eiective drainage is secured for the bottom of the cavity 20. Part I6 may be provided with a small bore 58 to establish communication between the chamber 32 and the atmosphere so as to additionally cool the smoke.

Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate my invention as applied to a cigarette holder, wherein the holder 60 corresponds to the part I6 of Figs. 1 and 2, with the exception that the holder is provided with an axial bore B2 constituting a receptacle for one end of the cigarette 64. Holder 60 is connected with a mouthpiece part 66 identical in construction with the mouthpiece part I4. A passage 68 places the receptacle 62 in communication with the chamber 32'.

Having thus described certain embodiments of my invention in detail, it is, of course, understood that I do not desire to limit the scope thereof to the exact details set forth except insofar as those details may be dened in the appended claim.

I claim:

In a smokers article, a stem comprising a iirst part having a bore, a second part having a shank frictionally engaging the Wall o1 said bore but terminating short of its inner end to provide a chamber, said first part being provided with a tobacco receiving cavity and a smoke passage leading therefrom to said chamber near its bottom, said second part comprising a, mouthpiece and having a smoke passage communicating with said chamber near its top, said shank being provided with a projecting lip arranged to provide the bottom wall of said chamber, said shank being provided with a recess, said lip forming in part one wall of said recess, a bar having one end connected with said shank and its other end connected with said lip, and a. body of absorbent material inside said recess and held therein by said bar.

CHARLES E. HOPKINS. 

